Chapter 1: I, Gao Wen, Am Not a Fairy Knight!

Life is just fucking bullshit.

Yesterday morning, Gao Wen had just passed the civil service exam in his hometown county, thinking he’d start work in a few months and have security for the rest of his life.

Sure, civil service life was plain and dull, but in an era where thirty-five meant de facto retirement, who could refuse a lifetime meal ticket?

As for the problem of low income making it hard to find a partner…

Ha, in today’s version, nobody even bothers with that crap.

Besides, in the matchmaking market, civil servants are solidly in the top tier—would that be an exaggeration?

Who knew that after one night’s sleep, Gao Wen woke up on this deserted island, clad in tight black leather armor, with several fresh wounds oozing blood beneath the bandages.

Pain.

At that moment, a clamor reached Gao Wen’s ears…

“Though we’ve temporarily escaped that bastard Monka, he’ll find us in at most two or three months.”

“Our ship was damaged in the previous battle; without repairs, we can’t keep sailing, and then we’ll…”

“Captain, what do we do next?”

…

Dozens of pirates surrounded Gao Wen, talking over each other, the air thick with noise—but everyone could hear the fear in their voices.

Gao Wen listened, dazed, and instinctively barked:

“Quiet!”

After a moment’s thought, Gao Wen finally sorted through the chaotic memories in his mind.

He was the captain of this pirate crew, the notorious pirate “Knight” Gao Wen, with a bounty of eight million.

A few days ago, he’d encountered Monka at sea, lost the battle, and fled with his remaining men to this deserted island.

Though he’d inherited not just the name of some predecessor, but also his heroic skin from some Caladria, certainly not the Fairy Knight—but he’d lost the man’s invincibility under the midday sun.

For a moment, Gao Wen felt life was even more fucking bullshit.

Getting reincarnated was bad enough, but landing in the One Piece world with a bounty on his head and a Marine hot on his trail?

If things kept going like this, the best he could hope for was a life of torture in Impel Down; the worst, drowning in the ocean.

Either way, neither option was remotely appealing.

As for Monka, Gao Wen had some recollection of him.

Honestly, in the One Piece world, Monka was just a fallen Marine who could only bully people in the East Blue—anyone on the Grand Line could beat him senseless.

But here’s the problem.

Gao Wen couldn’t beat him.

The original body had just fought him recently, completely dominated, with not a single ounce of resistance, his knight sword even chipped by that giant axe.

This proved clearly that though the Axe King was weak, he was still the kind of guy who could split Old Man Karp open with one swing—no one could casually pick a fight with him.

This gave Gao Wen a precise assessment of his current strength:

A nobody.

He couldn’t even be compared to the superhumanly strong beings in his memories.

Thinking of this, Gao Wen frowned slightly.

He was a live-in-the-moment kind of guy, focused only on immediate problems.

Right now, the most important thing for him was surviving Monka’s pursuit.

After some thought…

Gao Wen still had no plan, so his gaze drifted to the pirates around him.

Most of their faces showed panic and confusion.

This pirate crew had been fleeing for half a month; morale was shattered, and whispers of mutiny had already begun.

They’d been suppressed by Gao Wen’s force before—but now…

Gao Wen glanced at his bleeding wounds.

Among the crowd, another pair of eyes lingered on his wounds; the man’s lips curled into a cruel smile, then he stepped forward, his voice shrill as glass scraping:

“I say we just disband.”

“For months we’ve followed the captain, made no profit, forbidden from attacking civilians—brothers can’t even afford decent meals, let alone a good life.”

“Are we just going to wait here to die?”

“Or should we find a new captain…”

At these words, the crowd stirred again; pirates who had been clustered around Gao Wen instinctively stepped back.

Gao Wen finally saw the speaker's face.

A bald, three-meter-tall brute, covered in muscle, yet with a voice as thin as a woman’s.

The brute’s name was Lancer, nominally Gao Wen’s second-in-command, but he’d coveted the captain’s seat for far longer than a day or two.

He’d long resented Gao Wen’s refusal to attack civilians, and had gathered a large following within the crew, quietly challenging Gao Wen’s authority.

Now, he was clearly trying to seize power while Gao Wen was wounded.

A crew of less than a hundred could still generate so much chaos—Gao Wen could only say: small temple, big demons; shallow pond, many turtles.

In truth, any other pirate captain would’ve already cut the traitor in half the moment he dared challenge authority.

After all, even Momma Chaka had beaten up Usopp in Water Seven for daring to defy the captain’s dignity.

But the original body refused to do that—he clung to some knightly code, muttering nonsense about mercy and compassion.

If you’re this righteous, why the hell are you even a pirate?

You slept with the queen of the Goia Kingdom?

Her name was Guinevere?

Dude, did you grab the wrong script? Isn’t that the purple-haired bastard’s dirty deed?

You got your fun and left—now I’m the one cleaning up your mess?

Gao Wen’s gaze sharpened, his expression turning cold.

A mutiny by subordinates against their captain—especially among pirates—meant the loser almost certainly died.

Gao Wen didn’t want to die. So the dead one would be someone else.

Though he was reincarnated, the original body’s memories and combat instincts still lingered, inevitably influencing Gao Wen’s thoughts.

As for killing…

The original may have clung to knightly ideals, but he was a pirate—whose hands weren’t stained with blood?

Besides, knightly mercy was reserved for allies; on the battlefield, knights often played the role of executioners.

Gao Wen had the decisiveness the original lacked; the original had the strength Gao Wen didn’t.

I can’t handle ocean monsters? Fine—I’ll handle you!

Gao Wen lifted his eyes to Lancer, voice icy:

“What?”

“You planning to attack me?”

Clang!

The knight sword slowly drew, its gleam reflecting the firelight.

Gao Wen’s entire aura shifted instantly—sharp, lethal, suffused with killing intent.

The surrounding pirates stared in shock; they’d followed Gao Wen for years—when had they ever seen him radiate such terrifying fury?

Lancer clenched his teeth, fear flashing in his eyes—but it was too late to turn back now.

Though Gao Wen was wounded, Lancer still had no confidence he could defeat him in direct combat.

But he knew Gao Wen’s nature: soft-hearted toward subordinates, indecisive—easiest to manipulate and eliminate.

Lancer gripped the flintlock pistol in his chest, wearing a look of heartbroken sorrow:

“Captain, are you really going to let your men die before you—!”

Before Lancer finished speaking, Gao Wen stepped forward, closing the distance between them, his blade slicing through the air in a silver arc.

Before anyone could react, a head rolled to the ground; Lancer’s pistol, just drawn, was cleanly severed by Gao Wen’s sword.

Thud!

From the broken barrel, unspent black powder scattered like dust.

Lancer’s headless corpse still held the pose of drawing his gun, twitched a few times, then collapsed backward, blood pooling beneath him.

Swish!

Gao Wen flicked the blood from his blade, cold eyes sweeping the crowd, voice utterly flat:

“Who else?”

The crowd fell silent—what they’d just seen was enough to chill their bones.

No one had expected Gao Wen to act so decisively, giving Lancer not even a sliver of chance to retreat.

Knowing his former personality, he’d never drawn his sword on his own men until the last possible moment—that’s why Lancer and others dared to challenge him despite being weaker.

But now everything had changed.

Yet this captain—suddenly, they felt deeply reliable. Indeed, pirates should be like this.

Strong, cold, merciless—only such men survive on the sea!

Seeing no response, Gao Wen returned to his seat.

Several pale-faced pirates stepped forward, dragging Lancer’s corpse away, leaving a trail of crimson blood.

Silence fell, heavy and terrifying.

From Lanther’s coup to Gao Wen’s sudden killing spree, it had taken barely ten seconds, yet the shock it delivered was unprecedented.

For the captain, who had always upheld knightly honor, had finally revealed his most ferocious fangs.

In the eyes of all who watched Gao Wen, the flame of hope burned anew.

If moments ago they had looked to Captain Gao Wen out of instinct, now they truly saw him as their savior.

But Gao Wen paid no mind to their reactions; a mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind:

“Captain System activated!”

“Congratulations! Badge unlocked—Captain’s Fury!”

“Subordinates’ stamina recovery speed increased by 20%!”

(End of Chapter)